Various example embodiments of the inventive concepts relate to an image signal processor, and more particularly, to an image signal processor for selecting at least one function from among point spread functions (PSFs) included in a table using selection information and for generating output image data having a higher resolution than image data using the selected PSF and the image data and to devices including the same.
In photography, PAF stands for phase-detection auto focus or phase-difference auto focus. Dynamic range refers to the range between the maximum and minimum measurable light intensities of an image sensor. The varying degrees of measurable light intensity depends upon the light capture device used, which determines the overall performance of the dynamic range of an imaging sensor.
Wide dynamic range (WDR) technology increases the dynamic range of an imaging sensor by physically increasing the pixel performance, or digitally applying multiple exposure times for each pixel. An ideal WDR sensor has a high full-well capacity (FWC). FWC is defined as the maximum number of electrons corresponding to an incident signal that can be collected by an image sensor without saturation during readout. The higher the FWC, the greater the dynamic range of an image sensor.
In order to reduce the physical space occupied by a phase-difference auto focus module in a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera, the camera sensor of the DSLR camera includes pixels that can directly detect a phase difference. As a result, DSLR cameras can perform auto focus. Such technology is also applied to mirrorless DSLR.
In conventional pixels that detect a phase difference, a photodiode is partially shielded by a metal or the like and only light coming through an unshielded portion of the photodiode is detected. Using the conventional method of detecting a phase difference using a shielded pixel and an unshielded pixel, i.e., using two pixels, causes a problem in that the quality of color images deteriorates due to the two irregularly operating pixels.